Lamplighter Lodge Red Bluff

(With apologies to Carly Simon!) Well, it's not ALL just waiting. There's obsessively checking the weather in Rome; revising the packing list; dithering about which luggage to use; shopping for must-haves, and then returning them...Very important step today: got my husband set up to use Skype! Only one big hurdle remains: SHOES!

... raindrops on the drive back to our trailer, but nothing major. In fact, we were able to stop in Redding and visit the Sundial Bridge, a unique pedestrian bridge that leads to Turtle Bay Gardens and other attractions. Although it is past the prime for blooming, we enjoyed Turtle Bay gardens due to the art throughout the park.

By dinnertime, rain, thunder and lightning started and continued all ...

... which was just getting ready to close out for the summer. We ate outside at an Italian restaurant called Pasta Piatti, where we both had fresh salads and split crab cakes. After lunch we split up so Chris could peruse the wine shop and I could take photos. I stopped and bought some essential oil home spray, trying to get that "spa" scent of the Chrysalis Inn ...

Last night was hectic and scary. I laid out my new outfit for today, made my lunch and set the alarm for earlier than I thought I would need (just in case).

I felt like I was back in my youth, getting ready for the first day of school LOL. What was I thinking? 57+ and starting a new direction in my life (again).

Well this morning went smooth, I got there 30 minutes early and met one of the other two new people. Soon Diane ...

... the contrast of snow against deep blue water against dark green trees is magnificent.  Words cannot do it justice and my pictures won't either, but just take a look and imagine you're standing right there.  The island to one side of the crater is called "Wizard Island", so-named because it looks like a wizard's hat. Legend has it that local Indian medicine men used to go to the island for quests and retreats -- perfectly understandable when you actually see the island.

Mt ...

... out to become the prominant thing on the skyline. Castle Crags do the same thing. One moment, your eyes are on Mount Shasta. The next, you turn a corner, and suddenly these massive silver-grey granite spires take over the skyline (with Shasta going out of view). We turned off for Castle Crags, intending to go straight to the park. But when we got there, the ranger was kind enough to direct us to another viewpoint a little further down the road (3.5 miles I think ...

Another long day, watching the professional development. It began to rain, and rained most of the day. After lunch, we made the long drive home, mostly through the rain, rain, rain. When I reached home, I made a margarita and sat in the hot tub. Exhausted.

After Sierra Nevada, I took over driving. As we passed Red Bluff and turned onto Highway 36, I began to notice boulder strewn fields. Jana pointed out that these boulders had been blown there from one of Mount Tehama's biggest explosions around a half million years ago.

Brad, Nath & I went to the US for 3 weeks to visit our oldest son Adam & his wife Kristina who had recently moved from Denver to Portland Oregon.

We flew into San Francisco from Australia & picked up our hire car ( Brad immediately driving on the wrong side to oncoming traffic!!!) & headed north ...